Automatic valve-operating apparatus.



C. F. WALLACE & M. F. TIERNAN. AUTOMATIC VALVE OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1918.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Y ply of the flowing substance,

CHARLES F. WALLACE, 0F TOMPKINSVILLE, AND MARTIN F. TIEBNAN, OF JAMAICA,

. NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC VALVE-OPERATING APPARATUS.

dilation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Application filed may 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. WAL- LACE and MARTIN F. TIERNAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Tompkinsville, borough of Richmond, county of Richmond and State of New York, and Jamaica, county of Queens and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valve-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion.

T is invention relates to automatic valve operating apparatus such as disclosed in our applicatlon for patent filed March 26th, 1915, Serial No. 17,122 of which this application is in part a division and a continuation. Said application discloses an apparatus for controlling gases or flowing mediums such as chlorin gas, for controlling the supply thereof to a liquld to be treated, such as water. One of the objects of the resent invention is to provide a valve such, or instance, as disclosed in said application, with means for automatically controlling it so as to shut off a spent source of supand in the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, said valve automatically controls the supply from two separate sources so that when one source of supply is spent or exhausted, another source of supply is connected to the line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage which is so connected with the source of supply that it is operable upon the valve to automatically connect one of the two sources of flowing substance across the valve when the flowing substance from the other source fails. Another object of the invention is to provide such a gage with electromagnetic means for controlling a latch which is adapted to restrain the valve Still another object is to provide practical, efiicient and durable automatic valve operating apparatus for purposes such as those stated.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a desirable embodiment of the invention, and in which.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the preferred automatic valve operating apparatus associated with two sources of supply of a flowing substance;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing one orm of valve which may be used;

Fi 3 is a side elevation partly in section, showing automatic means for controlling the valve to cut in a full tank or source of supply when another has been emptied; an

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an electromagnet and associated parts shown in Fig. 3.

In our aforesaid application, two flasks or containers 27, 28, are illustrated, each containing for instance a charge of liquefied chlorin which is to be supplied in the form of a gas to a liquid, such as water. These flasks or containers are provided with valve devices 29, 29, for permitting the discharge of quantities of gas so that in given periods of time the same weight of gas will be discharged. Flexible tubes 30, 30, are connected at one end with the said valves, all as also shown in the accompanying drawings.

Where two flasks are used, a suitable valve 31 is preferably employed inthe gas line, and said valve may be of the three- Way type or of any suitable construction such as shown herein. The said valve is shown in detail in Fig. 2, and by means of a gas line or pipe 32 may be connected up with some other apparatus, as for instance, the differential pressure device disclosed in the aforesaid application. Said valve COIII- prises a casin 34 provided with three ports 35, 36 and 3 the intermediate one communicating with pipe 32. A reciprocating valve 38 is adapted to operate in said casing 34, and when the valve is reciprocated toward one side or the other, it is adapted to connect one of said tanks with the pipe 32 through the medium of ports 39, 39, at i ciprocated to the right so as to close the.

ort at that side, the right-hand flask will e cut off and the left-hand flask will be cut in, thus permitting gas to pass from said left-hand flask to said pipe 32. This action is preferably accomplished automatically so that no special attendant is necessary.

To the end that the valve may be operated automatically, a fulcrumed arm 40 connected with the valve in a suitable way, is adapted to be thrown from the position shown in Fig. 4 t a. position to the left thereof, or vice versa. A pipe 41. branches oil from the main gas with a pressure chamber 42 which is provided with a septum furnished by a flexible diaphragm 43. The gas pressure in the pipe 41 is transmitted into the lower compartment of said chamber 42 so as to act upon said diaphragm 43. The upper compartment of the chamber 42 is preferably filled with oil or other suitable liquid and connects by means of a tube 43 with the liquid chamber of a pressure gage 44 the detailed construction of which is well known. The object of the said gage is to indicate by means of the pointer or indicator 45, the pressure of gas flowing into pipe 32, to which end the said gage is provided with a graduated face. A rocking latch 46 is preferably pivoted at its mid-length at 46 on the frame 47 of an electro-magnet 48. The armature 49 is intended to actuate said latch 46 so as to release the lever 40 from said latch. When released a spring 50 pulls the lever 40 over to that side on which said spring is located. Said spring is shiftable so that it may beset to pull the lever-arm 40 either to the right or to the left, to which end the outer endof said spring is adapted to be engaged over one or the other of two pins 51, 52, located u on extensions of the magnet frame 57. If the magnet is energized, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, the latch 46 will be operated to release the lever-arm 40, whereupon the spring 50 will pull said arm to the left, thus connecting flask 28 with the gas line instead of flask 2 matically when 27 is exhausted.

To accomplish the desired result, electric power is preferably employed. A circuit 53 includes a battery 54 and said circuit is at one end connected with a post 55 insulated from the pressure gage 44 by suitable insulation. Said post 55 supports a stationary pring contact 56, which is therefore located in the battery side of the circuit, and upon the dial of said gage. The indicator 45 is grounded on the casing of the gage so that it is in the electro-magnet side f said circuit. In order to close the circuit and energ1ze the said magnet, said indicator 45 carthe supply of gas from flask pipe 32 and connects This action is accomplished auto-.

insane":

ries a contact 57 which is of such length as i.

to make electric connection-with the fixed contact 56, when said contact 57 sweeps past it. j

The operation of said automatic valve control mechanism is as follows; The indicator 45 of the pressure gage is set to a maximum gas and, in setting, the said indicator carries the movable contact 57 t a point in a clock wise direction with respect to the fixed contact 56, so that said movable contact is located to the right thereof, as indicated by dotted lines. If the chlorin gas is being-supplied from the right-hand flask 27, the valve 38 (Fig. 2) will be in the position shown, and the other parts in the position shown in Fig. 4. Now, when the pressure of gas from the flask 27 becomes low, due to the exhausting of the supply of liquefied chlorin therein, the pressure on the diaphragm 43 will be reduced and the indicator 45 will be caused to turn in an anti-clockwise direction, thereby sweeping the movable contact 57 across the fixed contact 56, so that the circuit will be closed and the electro-magnet 48 energized. This will cause the magnet armature 49 to be attracted, thereby operating the latch 46 and releasingand causing the operation of lever-arm 40 as before stated. When the circuit is broken the arma- -The attendant now disconnects the flask 27 and installs a charged flask. He also disconnects the spring 50 from the pin 51 and connects the same with the pin 52 at the right, so that when the latch is again operated the lever-arm 40 will bepulled to the right and connect up a charged flask 27 after the flask 28 has been emptied.

The application of the valve as described, is but one of the many applications to which the valve may be applied, and it is obvious that the valve may be of the reciprocating type shown herein, or of-the three-way rotary type as disclosed in our aforesaid application, or of any other suitable construction.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible of modification, as parts may be omitted, parts added, and parts substituted without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as expressed in the claims.

at we claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the claw described, the combination of two separate and noncommunicating sources of supply of a flowing substance, transfer conduits leading separately from said sources, a valve located beyond said sources of supply at a juncture pressure indicated by the dial,

of said conduits, for controlling the passage oi said substance independently from each source of supply, a single discharge pipe common to the said sources of supply leading away from said valved juncture and provided with a pressure responsive device, and means for automatically controlling said valve from said pressure responsive device, for causing said valve to shut ofi communication with one of said sources of supply With said common discharge pipe when said source of supply is spent and to connect the other active source of supply with such common discharge pipe beyond said valve.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of two separate and noncommunicating sources of supply for a flowing substance, a valve casing provided with two inlets and one outlet, said two inlets being respectively connected with said sources of supply, a valve comprising means to close each of said inlets when open and with means to connect said outlet with either open inlet, a gage connected with said outlet, and means operable through the movement of a part of said gage to automatically act on said valve to connect one of said two sources of a flowing substance across said valve to said outlet when the flowing substance from the other source fails. Y

3; In apparatus of the class described, the combination of two separate and non-communicating sources of supply of a flowing substance, a valve casing provided with two inlets and one outlet, said two inlets being respectively connected with said sources of a valve comprising means to close said inlets when the other one is open pp y, each of and with means to connect said outlet with either open inlet, a gage connected with said outlet, fixed and movable contacts, the latter being carried by a movable part of said gage, a source of electricity, an electromagnet connectible with said contacts in circuit with said source of electricity, and

the other one is latching means automatically act on said valve to connect one of said two sources of a 'flowing sub: stance across said valve to said outlet when ghe flowing substance from the other source ails.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of two separate and non-communicating sources of supply of a flowing substance, a valve casing provided with two inlets and one outlet, said two inlets being respectively connected with said sources of supply, a valve comprising means to close each of said inlets when the other one is open and with means to connect said outlet with either open inlet, a gage connected with said outlet, and means'operable through the movement of the indicator of said gage to automatically act on said valve to connect one of said two sources of a flowing substance across said valve to said outlet when the flowing substance from the other source fails.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of two separate and non-communicating sources of supply of a flowing substance a valve casing provided with two inlets and one outlet, said two inlets being operable by said magnet to respectively connected with said sources of supply, a valve comprising means to close each of said inlets when the other one is open and with means'to connect said outlet with either open inlet, a gage connec with said outlet, a lever controlling the movement of said valve, biased latching means for controlling the movement of said lever, and devices operable through the movement of a part of said gage to control tedse said latching means to act on said valve for connecting one of said two sources of a flowing substance across said valve to said outlet when the flowing substance from the other source fails.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afix our signatures.

CHARLES F. WAILACE. MARTIN F. TIERNAN 

